55-Year Old Woman Killed in a Wisconsin Motorcycle Accident
A 55-year old woman died in an accident between a motorcycle and van in southern Wisconsin in late July. As the summer riding season continues, we will tragically see more reports like this as motorcycle traffic increases throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the upper midwest. Riders can use the few facts that have been reported on this recent motorcycle accident to modify their own riding style and to reduce the likelihood of their involvement in a serous crash.
This accident occurred at 1 pm on a Saturday afternoon. The motorcycle was traveling east and the van that struck the motorcycle was traveling west when its driver attempted to make a left turn in front of the bike. The victim in the accident was a passenger on the bike. The weather was generally clear and the sun was high, eliminating risks of glare that would have blinded either the rider or the van’s driver. Police reported that alcohol and drugs were not a factor in the accident. We might infer from the news reports on the accident that the van’s driver either misjudged the bike’s speed or did not see the bike before making the turn.
Riders might be quick to cast the blame for the accident on the van’s driver. Rather than casting blame, riders might consider how they would react when confronted with a similar situation, i.e. riding in one direction and seeing a vehicle coming at them from the opposite direction with a turn signal on, indicating that the vehicle will turn in front of them. Even under the best of circumstances, the vehicle’s driver will have difficulty judging the bike’s speed and determining how quickly the gap between the bike and the vehicle is closing. A bike’s single headlamp can confuse the vehicle driver’s depth perception. The rider can help the driver to improve his depth perception by wobbling his front wheel back and forth slightly as the rider approaches the vehicle. A driver who sees this slight wobble will have a vastly improved sense of the distance between his vehicle and the motorcycle, as well as a clearer picture of the bike’s speed.
By itself, this slight motion will not avoid every accident. If you are involved in a motorcycle accident in Wisconsin or Minnesota and you want to recover the largest possible amount of damages from a negligent party that caused the accident, please see our website or contact us to schedule a consultation. Our attorneys will review your case and answer your questions about your opportunity to receive compensation for your losses.